Tillin' by hand stinks!

[obsessed]

So I just prepped 3 out of my 5 raised beds. I dug in about 6" (or maybe 3) applied my fertilizer and then cover with the soil and my horse poop compost that has been cooking since Oct. But dang I am tired. Tilling stinks when all you got is a pitch fork!

I will be ready for spring though. I think I will wait a few weeks before I put in my tomatoes. And I have some broccoli starts that I planted in early Dec that should go in asap but I think I will wait till next week. I may also start some lettuce next week but I am past the time for peas (which I am totally bummed about because it was the hands stupid fault).

My tomatoes and pepper seedlings are doing good and looking overall really healthy. They love that mini greenhouse I got for x-mass.

 

[vfem]

Oh great! I've been planning on doing mine... and like you, I have to do it all by hand!

Its ok though, our produce tastes sweeter don't it?!

 

[obsessed]

I don't know, right now I am freakin exhausted and my two toddlers are not.

 

[lesa]

You lucky dogs!!! It was 0 degrees last night. Gardening is a dream to me right now- not going to happen for 4 months!!!! Enjoy your time digging in the dirt!

 

[curly_kate]

Like lesa, I'm totally jealous! I've got some lovely little tomato & pepper starts, but we also have about 4" of snow outside w/6 more on its way. But I did hear that it is much better for your soil structure to till things by hand, so that might make you feel a little better, too.

 

[boggybranch]

I do ALL "tilling" in my garden, including the first 'clearing', using only a "Garden Claw"(Gold edition....handles much more comfortable to use) and the two hands on the ends of my arms. Love diggin' in the dirt.

 

[LVVCHAP]

I think I am going to plant tomorrow, as soon as I shovel the 2 ft of snow out of my garden.

The pic is a little blurry but my arms were tired from shoveling.

 

[digitS']

Where'd all dat snow come from??

. . . Tilling stinks when all you got is a pitch fork!

. . .

Is it really a "pitch" fork, Obsessed?? I would have trouble doing 10 square feet it that's the tool.

My tiller hasn't seen this ground once since I started here in 1996. It is 36' by 38' and all in 4' beds cultivated to the depth of the tines of a spading fork. That 11" depth of soft soil is way deeper than I could get with my tillers.

Unless you are very short, forget the D-handled spading forks. Use one with a long handle, stand up very straight, step on the fork to drive it as deep as you can into the ground, step back and pull the handle back with you, pull the handle all the way to the ground if you want to, but do NOT bother to lift the soil. Pushing the handle all the way back to the vertical, pull it out of the soil and begin again. Work backwards . . .

I know that clay would be more difficult to work than my gravel. Still it takes about 3 years to get it "cake flour soft" all the way down thru the rocks. I've got about 3 times this amount of land cultivated exactly the same way. Unfortunately, it takes days to do it and there are still more square feet out there that I need the tiller to get thru. I do the best that I can with the time I've got. Then punt . . .

If I can do it with a wretched back . . . anyone should be able to do it. Remember, do not lift the soil.

 

[Amigatec]

I almost hate to post these, Troy-bilt Horse 8 HP with electric start.

http://s14.photobucket.com/albums/a318/amigatec/Tilling/?action=view&current=till-01-lg.jpg&newest=1

 

[patandchickens]

Totally agree with Steve if this is already-well-prepared soil being discussed.

OTOH, if these are new (or new-ish) beds, and your soil is still heavy and keeps glumping back together over the winter, then indeed it is a bit of work to dig over by hand.

You *can* rent a tiller for, usually, like $20-30 for a half day; or what I find to be somewhat labor saving is to spread the amendments then do what Steve describes, but with a pointy shovel, so that you are just turning over clods of dirt "in place" not actually lifting or moving them to any meaningful degree. Much of the amendment ends up underneath and amongst the shovel-clods of dirt. Then you leave it that way, all lumpy, for a few dry days until the clods are dry enough that when you whack them hard with a bow rake or shovel they fragment apart pretty well; then whack the remaining clods with a bow rake, use the rake to rake it all flat, and call it good. The amendment will not be 100% totally homogenized into the soil, but you don't NEED to do that with typical amendments, worms etc will do it for you, honest.

Like Lesa, though, I am totally jealous that you CAN get all tired working in the garden. I can't usually touch ANY of my soil til early April, and that's *with* pre-warming it under a sheet of plastic once the snow melts!

Good luck, have fun,

Pat